Automatic train-stopping mechanism



N. C. KEELING.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 3 Pandsept. 20,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET df IMZNTOR ATTORN EY N. C'. KEELING.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING MECHANISM. APkLlcATloN FILED MAR` 3, |920.

1,391,255. l Pmndsepmmsazl. 2 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- a. a n [l ATTORNEY PATENT OFFICE.

NEWTON CTKEELING, or DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

- `AUTOMATIC TRAIN-STOPPIN'G MECHANISM. v

,T all whom t may concern Be it known that I, NnwToNC. KEIELING, a citizen vof the -United States, residing at v53 West St., Danbury, county of Fairfield,

State of Connecticut, have invented an provenient in Automatic Train-Stopping Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. v

rI'his invention has for its object to providey automatic train stopping mechanism which will be simple in its construction and v efficient land reliable in its action. The stopping mechanism of the present invention is located on the locomotive and coperates with an electrically operated system which sets a danger signall against a following train while a leading train remains in a block, and causes the stopping `mechanism to act to throw on the brakes or' the following train as it approaches an occupied block.

The construction and operation of the novel automatic train stopping mechanism, as well kas its connection with the system, will now be fully described.

In theaccompanying drawing forming a part of'this specification,

Figure 1 is a view of the novel train stoping mechanism, artly in section and partly v1n elevation,l disc osing the parts in the positions which they normally occupyv `when the brakesk .are unapplied, and showing .a locomotive in dotted lines;

Fig.2 asimilar view showing the parts in the positions vwhich they assume as the locomotive approaches van occupied block and the brakes are applied, and also showing a portion of the electrically operated system;

and l' Fi 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the e ectrically operated system with which the` automatic train stopping mechanism has connection.' e l Referringto Figs. 1 and 2, 10 denotes a battery, 11 a solenoid, 12 a compressed air.

cylinder, and' 13 a stopping cylinder having y therein a loosepis'ton 14. Alfdenotes av rod.

khavin enlarged ends V16 and y17 and a handle. 182 nlarged end 16 is larrangedp'for, upward and downward sliding 'in the solenoid, and enlarged end 17 is slidingly fitted in'a Vguide 19 onthe'locomotivey The stopping Vcylinder has connection at one of its ends4 with brake pipe 20, that is, the pipe leading to the brakes (not shown), and at its other end it is connected by means of a short pipe 1*.21xrwith. a pipe 22 leading'from the. com- Specifcation of Letters Patent.

closed, andvice versa.

Patented sept. 2o, 1921.

Applicationfnea March 3, 192e. serial No. 362,946.

pressed air cylindenthe connection between pipes 21 and 22 being denoted by 23. At 24 and 25 are represented quick acting valves in-pipe 22, one above and the other. below connection 23, which are operated by parallel levers 26 and 27, respectively, the latter being pivotally attached tothe rod in any approved manner, as indicated at 28l and 29. It 'may here be remarked that when rod 15 is in its eXtreme upward position, enlarged portion 16 is in engagement with the solenoid the stopping cylinder.

'The brake pipe shown'is normally lilled with air under pressure from any source, the

action of the air in this pipe retaining the brakes released. In otherfwords, the train` .brake used in connection with the .present invention voperates on the balanced system,

thebrakes being set by pressure in another 4pipe (not shown) when. the pressure in pipe 20 is relieved. Brake mechanism is not illustratedV as itforms no part of the present invention. A slightly higher pressure is maintained in the compressed air cylinder than is Vmaintained inthe brake pipe, so that when valve 24 is open the excess pressure holds the loose piston againstthe end of the stopping cylinder which connects withk the brake pipe, as it is shown in Fig. 1. The

`ports leading to the atmosphere `are thus covered and no air 'can escapefrom the `brake pipe. In this positionof the loose piston the brakes remain unapplied. However,

ywhen valve 24 is closed, the pressure to the kleft of the loose piston, as shownin Fig. 1, vis removed, and the pressure in the brake pipe forces theloose piston to the opposite endof the stoppingfcylinder, as it is shown in Fig. 2. Theports are thus successively v uncovered so that air from thebrake pipe passes to the atmosphere and the pressure ing-said pipe is .gradually yrelieved and theV brakes are gradually applied, las will bereadily-understood. The trapped airtothe left of the loose piston,.as shown in Fig. 1, es-

capes through valve25 and outlet end 30 of pipe 21. y vnections and 33. is van insulated case. `Em- 32 denotes insulated electric conbedded in opposite sides ofthe case are contacts 34 which are inl circuit with connections f 32. Brackets 35 slidingly support Shanks 36 insulated case. When "the Contact rshoes are intheir normalV position,'the plunger is in engagement 'with the contactsyin the insu- 'lated Icase and completes a 'circuit which Ypasses fromthe battery, and throughthe solenoidandconnections, and the solenoidv is "thus energized. Itvwill'be apparent that when rod15 `is raised to itsextr'eme upward V=po"sitlion,'enlargedlportionl'thereof will be -"held to the solenoid so long as it is energized, land-as has been stated, valve 24 willbe open land valve 25 closed. :It will alsobe apparent that the solenoid willbeenergized so 25'longas theplunger remains in engagement rwith contacts 34. 41,A denotes independent `connections between connections 32 and the ,"contact shoes'. Y y

Referring now to :F ig. 3, 42, 43 and '44 30 ldenote the track 'rails in 'separate blocks fRamp' rails45 areipla'ced in position to ybe 'engagedby the contactfshoesiat a safe brakingr'listancebe'fore a locomotive passes from "one lblock 'into another, and each l:block is provided'witha complete and'separate electricallyoperatedsysteni. `Character A 'de'- notes an ordinarysignaling relay, and lB denotes-'a second relay controlled bythe circuit whichoperates the ordinary relay. "'As 40 shown, there' are arranged vin ythis circuitfelectromagnets 46 Vand t47, the former pro- `vided with an armature 48 and the latter l' having an Varmature 49.,V Controlled bythe yordinary'relayis a signal 50, inthe present 'inst-ance an ordinary semaphore which ris i'adapted to bev held i ini the raised .ori` danger vposition by v`a'counterweight l51 and to be l dra-wn toi-its lowered vorI clear* track position by an electric motorlQ, 4 and* a batteryv 53 in circuit with thernotorand armature '48. z54 llei'nltes a? battery Y *in circuit f withfthe *rails fofa block and {With felectronragnets *46 -f'aii'd47. y I 4 ffTl'e' i'circuit eleetromagnets 46, Ythence throughf `electro- "magne'ts 47, thence fto'theotherfrail, and

601thence'bakltothe battery.V Consequently,

whieh @pentes wie 'of-dinar Y 57, armature v48 and motor 52,V the motor -beingthusoperatedstopretain the signal in the cleartrack position, as will ,be readily understoodfi-and:4 connections 58 ywhich extend from the ramp rails, are in contact with each other by reason of the engagementgof armature 49 with contact 59. However, when a locomotive is `in a block, as denoted at in block 44, circuit 55 of that block will be short circuited, the current then passing v'from `battery 54 along` connection 6l to` 'one of the rails, thence alongthe-railitotheaxle of locomotiveb, thence across the'axleto the other'raihthence on the'rail'as indicated by' 62, and "thence b'a'ckl to theU battery along connection. VArmatures L48 'and'f49 will then be released fromV their respectiveel'ectroxnagnets, the signal .willbe inV its L"danger position, and there' willbejno contact Vbetween connections' 58' leading from`the ramp rails.

,As yhas been stated 'hereinbefora tthef oon- -tact lshoes arel normally in Vtheir extreme downward position, f and in this position of l'said 'shoes 'the circuit in 'the vlocomotive vis continuous, the Vsolenoid is energized, fand `rod"1'5"holdsthe-levers sothat valve is openl and Valve 25 is closed. Asthe'floco-V motivetraveling inthe direction indicated "t bythe arrow in v8,ap]roroaches ablo'ck, the contact shoes-ride up "on theraniprails, as indicated inFigf'Z kiHthe block ahead eal is clear, the signalwill besetat clear-'and c .y

armature v49 will behe'ld' by electromagnet 47 and in engagement?with-contact59 -'VVhe'n 100 "now the contact shoesv ride up Von"the-rampf rails, the plunger will be slid up in'the'insulated case so that it f disengages .the "contacts therein,7,but completecircuit will f` be had through kconnections 41, vconnections l"5 8, armature v49 and V'contacti 59,1sotthatthe ,s'lenoi'd will 'remain energized'iand 'therro'd will remain' in its extreme'upwardposition As n the contact shoes 'run off of'the ramp lrails,

the plunger `will be `:again in engagement 110 with theV contacts. ,"Suppose lnow thattle block aheadis occupied,1 The axle offthe Ytrain in said occupiedblock'will short circuit l y the "operating circuit ifori the relaysfarma masas andre Win` be 'removed lfmmfithif 115 i electromagnets, the signal willbeinfzits danger positiony'and there will-*berno con- Lnection 'between the lramp "rai-(ls, `as '1 will ybe j, freadily understood. f 4`Ac'co-rdinigly,@as*soon as the contact shoes *ride-tup" on the )rai'np 120- broken, t thus fdenergizing thef;Y solenoid" so thatjrod 3 15 will immediately drop bygravity. "Valve/24w'illf now-be in its closedfpo'si-f inbefore lfully described'. The:` arrangement f is such that Awhen the r enlarged lportion of f v2the rod`ry leaves thesole'noid, itfw'ill notagain' engage i it funtilfl the 1" handle .l of; the *rod fl-is 130 grasped and the rod manually lifted. It will be apparent that when the leading train passes out of the block andthe signal is automatically set to clear, the rod may be conveniently lifted to remove the pressure from the brakes.

vWhat I claim is 1. Automatic train stoppingl mechanism comprising a compressed air cylinder having extending therefrom a pipe provided with two valves and an outlet end, a stopping cylinder provided with ports and carrying a loose piston, a pipe connecting the stopping cylinder with the compressed air cylinder pipe at a point between its valves, means consisting of a solenoid in circuit for holding one of the valves open and the othery closed, automatic means for breaking the circuit to change the position of each valve, a brake pipe having connection with the stopping cylinder, and' subsequently operable automatic means associated with said circuit breaking means for closing the circuit.

2. Automatic train stopping mechanism comprising a pressure reservoir, a pipe eX- tending therefrom and having an outlet end communicating with the atmosphere, a pair of spaced, oppositely arranged valves in said pipe, a stopping cylinder provided with outlet ports, a loose piston therein, connection between one end of said cylinder and a train pipe, connection between the opposite end of said cylinder-and the pressure'reservoir pipe at a point intermediate the valves therein, lever mechanism on said valves for simultaneous operation thereof, and electrically actuated means for operating the said lever mechanism.

3. Automatic train stopping mechanism comprising a ressure reservoir, a pipe eX- tending there rom and in communication with the atmosphere at its end, a pair of oppositely arranged, spaced valves in said pipe, a'stopping cylinder provided with outlet orts and a loose pistony therein, connection between one end of said cylinder and said pipe intermediate the valves, connection between the opposite end of said cylinder and a train pipe, operating levers on said valves, a rod connecting said levers for simultaneous operation thereof, electrically actuated means for automatically moving said rod to open one of said valves and close another, and automatic mechanism for control ofsaid electrically actuated means. l

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NEWTON KEELING. 

